The big debate: ASUA concert loses $1M

‘They are learning the new economic model . . . hold more concerts to SPEND their way out of debt. Maybe . . . they’ll qualify for bailout money.’ – harley cleanslate

The story: The Last Smash Platinum Bash was a $1 million bust for the Associated Students of the University of Arizona, costing $1.4 million to stage but bringing in only $503,000.

Your take: ASUA’s plan was pathetic, mixing a hip-hop artist with a pop star during a recession and as students study for finals.

“Leave this sort of stuff to the pros and stop playing with other people’s money,” advises rhinox1. “I’ve been doing events for a decade and the first thing I ever tell anyone who wants to get into this business is, ‘How much can you afford to lose in one night?’ ”

As for bringing in hip-hop star Jay-Z, says 3807, “market was for college students, not mini wannabe gangbangers!”

Notes 2865, “Tucson is a small market and unless there is something staged that can get the entire town to show up, UA stadium is too big a venue.”

The musical mix was bad too, notes 520ozees. “Easily a few thousand more out here in Tucson chose not to go because of the ridiculous mix of genres. The Kanye West concert was a success, or at least broke even, because the lineup was consistent.”

And 2160 suggests the UA students aren’t learning much in college: “These are the leaders of the future? what a waste of time and money . . . !”

This archive contains all the stories that appeared on the Tucson Citizen's website from mid-2006 to June 1, 2009.

In 2010, a power surge fried a server that contained all of videos linked to dozens of stories in this archive. Also, a server that contained all of the databases for dozens of stories was accidentally erased, so all of those links are broken as well. However, all of the text and photos that accompanied some stories have been preserved.

For all of the stories that were archived by the Tucson Citizen newspaper's library in a digital archive between 1993 and 2009, go to Morgue Part 2